The Bullpen Strategy Group is a public relations and campaign strategy firm that works for politicians, corporations, and advocacy groups around the world. The firm has offices in Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; and London, England. ¹ In 2022, the firm’s clients included the cryptocurrency trading platform Binance, which is partially owned by a prominent Chinese businessman, and the government of the United Arab Emirates. ^{2 3}

Numerous senior staff at Bullpen Strategy have been involved with the offices and election campaigns of Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and former President George W. Bush. ^{4 5 6}

In 2020, Bullpen Strategy launched the Bullpen Technology Group to develop resources and applications in support of its public relations work. ⁷

Background

Bullpen Strategy Group was created in 2019 and grew out of a now-defunct consulting firm called Definers Public Affairs. The previous year, the firm had lost a contract with social media giant Facebook and a number of top staffers following a New York Times report detailing the Definers’s opposition research tactics. In the aftermath, Definers co-founder Joe Pounder took charge of the firm and rebranded it as Bullpen Strategy. ⁸

Defines Public Affairs also provided media monitoring services to the Environmental Protection Agency during the Trump administration. In 2018, allegations surfaced that the agency had hired Definers without the proper bidding and selection process. ⁹

Clients

The Bullpen Strategy Group has worked extensively with Republican campaigns. During the 2022 election cycle, the Republican National Committee paid at least $5,000 to the firm and at least $18,000 to the Bullpen Technology Group. ¹⁰ In addition, the National Republican Senatorial Committee paid the firm at least $50,000 for strategic consulting services. ¹¹

In May 2021, Foreign Lobby Report indicated that a group of business and political leaders in Afghanistan had retained Bullpen Strategy to promote its agenda to American lawmakers. This “Afghanistan-U.S. Democratic Peace and Prosperity Council” called for the United States to maintain its $4 billion in annual funding for the Afghan military and to devote additional resources to military logistics and maintenance. The council also opposed the planned withdrawal of American troops from the war-torn country. ¹²

In December 2022, Axios reported that the cryptocurrency trading service Binance had retained Bullpen Strategy to help lobby the United States government. The company is partially owned by Chinese businessman Changpeng Zhao, and its parent company is registered in the Cayman Islands, a well-known international tax haven. Axios noted that federal authorities had started to “step up pressure” on the cryptocurrency industry and that Binance was reportedly under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Axios also reported that the Department of Justice was investigating Binance and Zhao, and that Binance’s U.S. division was attempting to create an image of compliance with regulations and independence from its Cayman Islands-based parent company. ¹³

Later in December 2022, Intelligence Online reported that the government of the United Arab Emirates, a monarchy in the Persian Gulf, had retained Bullpen Strategy. According to Intelligence Online, the Emirati government was paying the firm as much as $32,500 per month to support its “information war” against its neighbor and geopolitical rival Qatar. Bullpen had been working for the United Arab Emirates in partnership with top U.S. lobbying firm Akin Gump. ^{14 15}

Leadership

Joe Pounder is the founder and chief executive officer of the Bullpen Strategy Group. Pounder was a senior advisor to the 2016 presidential campaign of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). He was also the deputy campaign manager of Rubio’s 2010 Senate campaign and became his communications director after he was elected. Previously, Pounder was a staffer for former House Republican Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), rapid response director for Mitt Romney’s 2007 presidential primary campaign and Sen. John McCain’s 2008 general election campaign, and a senior communications staffer in the George W. Bush administration. ¹⁶

Michael Ahrens is a managing director at Bullpen Strategy. He was previously the communications director for the Republican National Committee, and prior to that, he was the rapid response director for Marco Rubio’s 2016 Senate re-election campaign and a member of the research team for Rubio’s presidential campaign the same year. He has also worked as a legislative aide in the office of former Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO). ¹⁷

Eric Wilson is a senior vice president at Bullpen Strategy and the senior vice president for strategy at Bullpen Technology. He ran the digital engagement team on the Marco Rubio 2016 presidential campaign and was the digital director for former Bush administration staffer Ed Gillespie’s 2014 Senate campaign and 2017 Virginia gubernatorial campaign. He has also provided advisory services to the center-right Liberal Party of Australia. While Wilson works exclusively with conservative politicians, he is also a fellow with Harvard University’s Ash Center for Technology and Democracy. ¹⁸

Brian Rogers is a partner with Bullpen Strategy. He was previously the lead spokesman and communications director for the office of Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Prior to that, he was a member of the George W. Bush 2004 re-election campaign national committee. ¹⁹

1. “About Us.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/about-us/
2. Lachlan Markay. “Scoop: Binance US goes big on D.C. lobbying.” Axios. December 16, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.axios.com/2022/12/16/binanceus-lobbyists-dc
3. “Hardball player Bullpen Strategy Group to launch new front for Abu Dhabi in information war against Doha.” Intelligence Online. December 22, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.intelligenceonline.com/corporate-intelligence/2022/12/22/hardball-player-bullpen-strategy-group-to-launch-new-front-for-abu-dhabi-in-information-war-against-doha,109875971-art
4. “Joe Pounder.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/joe-pounder/
5. “Brian Rogers.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/brian-rogers/
6. “Michael Ahrens.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/michael-ahrens/
7. “BSG Acquires Pundit Analytics, Launches Bullpen Technology Group.” Bullpen Strategy. August 13, 2020. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/bsg-acquires-pundit-analytics-launches-bullpen-technology-group/
8. Theodoric Meyer. “Definers tries to reboot after Facebook oppo research controversy.” Politico. September 4, 2019. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/04/definers-facebook-oppo-research-controversy-1480400
9. Richard Carufel. “Monitoring in the spotlight as EPA contract collapses in controversy.” Agility PR Solutions. January 31, 2018. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/monitoring-spotlight-epa-contract-collapses-controversy/
10. “Republican National Cmte Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-parties/republican-national-cmte/RNC/2022/expenditures?t0-search=bullpen
11. “National Republican Senatorial Cmte Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-parties/national-republican-senatorial-cmte/nrsc/2022/expenditures-details?recip=Bullpen+Strategy+Group
12. Julian Pecquet. “Latest Filings.” Foreign Lobby Report. May 13, 2021. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.foreignlobby.com/2021/05/13/somali-warlord-aidids-son-lobbies-washington-for-support-in-presidential-run-el-salvadors-bukele-renews-with-clinton-press-aides-firm-israels-shalom-corps-hires-democratic-fundraisers/
13. Lachlan Markay. “Scoop: Binance US goes big on D.C. lobbying.” Axios. December 16, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.axios.com/2022/12/16/binanceus-lobbyists-dc
14. “Hardball player Bullpen Strategy Group to launch new front for Abu Dhabi in information war against Doha.” Intelligence Online. December 22, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://www.intelligenceonline.com/corporate-intelligence/2022/12/22/hardball-player-bullpen-strategy-group-to-launch-new-front-for-abu-dhabi-in-information-war-against-doha,109875971-art
15. Paul Archuleta. “Taking the Fight for Persecuted Christians in the United Arab Emirates and Mali to the UN.” American Center for Law and Justice. November 3, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/taking-the-fight-for-persecuted-christians-in-the-united-arab-emirates-and-mali-to-the-un
16. “Joe Pounder.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/joe-pounder/
17. “Michael Ahrens.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023.  https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/michael-ahrens/
18. “Eric Wilson.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/eric-wilson/
19. “Brian Rogers.” Bullpen Strategy. Accessed February 12, 2023. https://bullpenstrategygroup.com/newsroom/team/brian-rogers/